1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recoding medium drive such as a hard disk drive, HDD, for example. In particular, the invention relates to a recording medium drive including a head element supported on a head slider opposed to a recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is proposed to form an electrostatic actuator between a magnetic recording disk and a flying head slider in a hard disk drive, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,876,509, for example. Electric power is supplied to the flying head slider from a carriage supporting the flying head slider in the hard disk drive. The flying height of the flying head slider depends on the amount of the supplied electric power.
A reduction in the flying height of the flying head slider tends to induce electrospark between the flying head slider and the magnetic recording disk in the hard disk drive. Since the outflow end of the flying head slider usually gets closest to the magnetic recording disk in the hard disk drive, electrospark is generated between the outflow end of the flying head slider and the magnetic recording disk. This results in a burn of the head element located adjacent to the outflow end. Destruction of the head element is inevitable. Accordingly, the flying head slider is not allowed to approach the magnetic recording disk as expected.